1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toy projectile devices and the methods used in the fabrication of such devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to projectile devices that adhere to the surface against which they are thrown.
2. Prior Art Statement
The field of toys is replete with various types of projectile devices. Many of these projectile devices are specifically designed to adhere to a particular type of target surface. For example, in the game of darts, each dart projectile has a sharpened point. The dartboard used in the game of darts is specifically designed to receive the sharpened point of a dart projectile and retain that dart projectile in place at the point of impact. There are also a wide variety of games that come with a target field and target projectiles that both contain hook and loop material, such as Velcro. When the target projectile is thrown against the target field, the target projectile adheres to the target field at the point of impact. Other games include games that use magnet tipped projectiles and metallic target fields. Again, when the magnetic tipped projectile strikes the metallic field, the projectile adheres to the metallic field at the point of impact.
In the field of toys, there are also many projectiles that are designed to adhere to a wide variety of surfaces, rather than to a dedicated target surface. For example, many projectiles contain suction cups that can adhere to any smooth surface. Other projectiles are made of tacky material that enables the projectiles to adhere to semi-smooth surfaces such as walls and ceilings.
Toy projectiles that adhere to a wide variety of surfaces tend to have a wider play appeal than do toy projectiles that adhere only to dedicated surfaces. This is especially true with young children who lack the coordination to throw a projectile accurately against a dedicated target surface. However, when manufacturing toy projectiles that can adhere to many surfaces, the toy projectile tends to be made to have a low weight-to-size, density. With a low weight-to-size density, prior art projectiles tend to be lightweight and/or soft. With such characteristics, the toy projectile will not readily break a pane of glass, or hurt another child if thrown against such things. However, since the toy projectiles are generally made to be light and have a low density, they typically have poor aerodynamic properties. Consequently, due to wind resistance, such projectiles typically can only be thrown short distances, regardless of how hard they are thrown. Furthermore, wind resistance also such projectiles travel at slow speeds when they are thrown. These characteristics lower the play value of the toy projectile.
The present invention is a new type of toy projectile that can adhere to most any surface yet has a relatively high weight-to-size density. Consequently, the toy projectile can be thrown long distances at high speeds. However, the toy projectile deforms significantly upon impact with most any surface. The deformation spreads the energy of the impact across a wide area. This makes the toy projectile safe to throw against fragile objects, such as panes of glass. The extreme deformation created at the time of impact remains for a short period of time, whereinafter the projectile returns to its original size and shape. The structure of the present invention projectile and its associated method of manufacture are described and claimed below.
The present invention is a toy projectile device that is thrown at flat surfaces, such as panes of glass. The toy projectile has a volume of fill material that is encapsulated within a thin-walled shell. The fill material contains a liquid and may contain solid objects suspended within the liquid. The shell is fabricated from an elastomeric material that is highly elastic, has high tear resistance and has a tacky exterior. When the toy projectile is thrown against a hard surface, the thin-walled shell deforms on impact and stretches into a splat pattern on the impacted surface. Due to the tackiness of the shell, the shell adheres to the impacted surface in the splat pattern. This provides an illusion that the shell has ruptured and that the contents of the toy projectile are splattered against the impacted object. However, the shell of the toy projectile is not ruptured, rather it is only deformed. After a short period of time, the elastic properties of the shell cause the shell to contract and peel away from the impacted surface. The shell eventually returns to its original orientation, wherein it is again ready to be thrown.